Monday, July 26, 2010

1. Americans seem incapable or more likely unable to accept the real reason why they are hated by Muslims.

2. After 9/11 Bush was reported to have said, "I don't know why they (the Muslims) hate us".

3. Later on answering his own question, Bush declared that "they hate our democracy. They hate our freedom".

4. Since then more and more reasons have been suggested as to why Muslim individuals are prepared to tie explosives to their bodies and blow themselves up in order to kill Americans.

5. Books have also been written about Islam and Muslims to explain their hatred of the Americans and the West. Much of the blame is placed on the teachings of Islam, in particular that which is concerned with jihad or holy war and martyrdom.

6. There have also been attempts to exonerate Islam and to attribute the violence against the West to the wrong interpretations of Islam by people with vested interest.

7. But the Americans almost invariably refuse to acknowledge that it was their seizure or their backing of the seizure of Palestinian land and their subsequent support of Israeli violence and oppression of the Palestinians which has caused the Muslims to hate the Americans. Each time the Palestinian tried to regain their land, the Americans would ensure that they fail by giving massive support for Israel. It is well-known that they provide financial support to sustain the state of Israel. Every time the Israelis set up settlements and build walls to break up Palestinian families, the US would back it. Israeli intransigence, Israel's disregard and breaches of international laws, disregard for normal human behaviour America would staunchly back Israel. To the Americans, Israel can do no wrong.

8. All these happened before the attack against the New York World Trade Centre. After that came the "shock and awe" invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq with the loss of life of hundreds of thousands of these people and the total destruction of their cities and countries.

9. Since the invasions the Americans have remained in occupation of these two countries, where American soldiers continue to kill civilians with impunity. Many innocent people have been detained and tortured. Muslim countries which are friendly towards the United States are not spared.

10. The so-called "war on terror" is clearly a war against Muslims. It is enough for a person to have a Muslim or a Muslim sounding name for him to be ill-treated and sometimes detained without trial for years.

11. Only Muslim countries have been attacked or are threatened to be attacked. Non-Muslim countries building nuclear weapons may be threatened but no real action would be taken.

12. So why do they, the Muslims, hate Americans? Is it because they hate democracy and freedom? Only the most stupid can suggest this. They hate Americans and Europeans generally because they aided and abetted in the seizure of Palestine, in the unquestioning support for Israel's oppression and brutalities, in Israel's settlements on Palestinian land, and all the other crimes committed by Israel.

13. They hate the Americans because without American support for Israel they, the Palestinians, could have regained their land. As it is they are not even allowed to call their land Palestine. They are just the Palestinian Authority.

14. When they are unable to withstand the oppression and the killing of their people and they hit back their action is not reported as retaliation against Israel's action. Instead when the Israelis hit with overwhelming force, killing hundreds and thousands as happened in Gaza, they were described as Israeli retaliation against the primitive Hamas rockets which did very little damage.

15. Americans should not kid themselves that they are hated for their democracy and freedom. They are not. They are not hated even for religious differences. They are hated because they join the Israelis in all their brutalities, in their illegal occupation of Palestinian land, in the protection they afford Israel intransigence against the rest of the world. And now of course in their terror attacks against the innocent peoples of Afghanistan, Iraq and other Muslim countries.

16. It is important that the Americans know and admit the true reasons for the hatred against them. It is important because until they do they will not be able to come up with any solution to the present costly war. This war can go on forever because future generations of Palestinians, of Muslims, will never forget the injustice inflicted on them by Americans.

As posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at Che Det on July 19, 2010 11:11 AM

1. When we appointed an International Advisory Panel of prominent IT personalities from around the world, we gave a guarantee that Malaysia would not censor the Internet.

2. We thought at that time that even if we wanted to, we couldn't. The technology was not available for us to do this. And so Malaysiakini and other sites flourished.

3. Now that I have retired I feel glad that we made the decision not to censor. I have benefited much from the blogs as have very many bloggers. There may be a few who have abused this blogging privilege but by and large it has served the public well. The mainstream media in Malaysia need no censoring as they censor themselves. So the blogs can report what really happens. It can be the alternative source of news. And there is a need for this other source for the mainstream media will always be guarding their behind.

4. I had always assumed that the Western press is free. Certainly they have never been in any way constrained when writing about the third world including Malaysia.

5. Now, I know better. Robert Fisk, one of the great Western journalists has revealed that when writing about their own countries and about the West in general they adhere to official sources and use clichés which masked the truth. They too indulge in self-censoring. I recommend that everyone interested in the so-called freedom of the press should read his book - The Age of The Warrior.

6. Press freedom is supposed to be an essential part of the practice of Western Democracy. The assumption is that with press freedom truth will prevail. But the freedom is also about telling lies, about promoting evil agendas, demonizing individuals, twisting facts, hounding people to death and all other kinds of evil.

7. The Internet has now given not just journalists but given just about anyone the same capacities to tell the truth, to lie and twist facts and do all the good and evil things. There is no censoring the Internet.

8. But I am concerned about the dissemination of pornographic material. I am concerned because there can be no doubt that sex related crimes are more common today due to the easily excitable young having access to filthy pornographic material. Sexual immorality among youths is more common today than ever before.

9. Something has to be done to the Internet's promotion of immorality. The world community should agree that the promotion of pornography via the Internet should be stopped. Failing this Malaysia should censor all pornographic material on the Internet, guarantees notwithstanding.

10. It is possible to do this now and it should be done. It will not be 100% successful but it will prevent easy access at least. Moral decay should not be allowed to be promoted. Certainly moral decay should not be speeded up via the Internet.

UPDATE Thursday July 15, 2010 ** It has been brought to my attention by Khazanah Nasional Managing Director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar that Khazanah Nasional does not own any shares in Sime Darby Berhad and that reports of its intention to buy into Aman Resorts remains speculative **

1. Fresh from losing three billion ringgit via its majority owned firm Sime Darby, I hear that Khazanah is buying or going to buy "Aman Resorts".

2. These are six star resorts in Bali, Phuket and other exotic places. I don't know how profitable they are but I do know that hotels and resorts are not easy to manage, even less easy to make profits. It is the management companies which make the profits because profitable or not they get their cut of the takings.

3. I am sure Khazanah is well aware of this. Perhaps it is also aware that its investments in fishing had failed. The boats, the nets and other fishing paraphernalia are now dumped in the Langkawi Boustead boatyard. I am told they are for sale.

4. It was a great fishing venture. Special nets were supposed to be used to catch young tuna fish in the Indian Ocean. The fish would not be landed but would instead be dragged while still in the net to Langkawi. There they would be fed and grown until big enough to harvest.

5. It was as innovative a way to catch fish as any and a multimillion Ringgit industry was forecast. I don't know how much Khazanah invested in this failed venture.

6. Well, as I said, the whole investment had ended with the hardware and boats dumped in Langkawi. It did not involve billions, but it must involve maybe a hundred million plus. It is peanuts by comparison to the kind of money handled by Khazanah. We should regard it as a failed experiment. Research cost money. There is no guarantee of results. But it would be interesting to know how Khazanah came upon this idea, what were the fees, who bought the boats and fishing tackle and at what price.

7. Experience is a good teacher. Has this experience taught anyone anything.

1. British papers headlined "Blair's battle with law chief over Iraq". Tony Blair was told the Iraq war was illegal by Attorney-General (Lord Goldsmith) the day before he (Blair) gave George Bush the go-ahead for invasion.

2. Blair's fury at the repeated warnings from Lord Goldsmith was laid bare as secret memos were published by the Chilcot Inquiry on the British involvement in the Iraq war after the memos were declassified by the Government.

3. On the memo by Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney-General, Blair scribbled, "I just don't understand this". The memo was published in British newspapers.

4. When Bush said on January 31st 2003, that bombing (of Iraq) would begin in mid-March, David Manning, the PM's chief foreign policy adviser recorded Blair's reaction; "The Prime Minister said he was solidly behind the President".

5. It is not surprising therefore that the US has "honoured" Blair with a medal and GBP 67,000.

6. The award according to David Eisner of the National Constitution Centre of America is because "Tony Blair has significantly furthered the expansion of freedom, self governance, equality and peaceful co-existence". It is the height of hypocrisy.

7. Malaysian Achievers should be happy that they are not alone in their admiration of Tony Blair. But anti-war campaigners reacted furiously and Andrew Burgin of the Stop the War Coalition said, "This is unbelievable. It is a reward for supporting Bush in the war against Iraq".

8. "It is the deaths of a million people in Iraq that Blair should be remembered for".

9. True to his ilk, Blair supported Israel's attack and killings of aid workers of the humanitarian flotilla to Gaza. Blair considers Israel's attack and piracy in international waters as constituting a right to defend itself.

10. When Blair the war criminal came here to speak for RM1 million (GBP200,000) he was treated as a Government guest and given VIP treatment.

11. Personally I don't care for any special treatment for me when I travel abroad. But at Heathrow, London, I was treated as a terrorist. I had to take off my shoes, belt and coat and was body searched for weapons by British security before I was allowed to go through.

12. I was reminded of the Hindi film, starring Shah Rukh Khan entitled, "My name is Khan", in which Khan tried to meet the President of the United States to tell him, "Mr President, my name is Khan. I am not a terrorist".

13. I felt like shouting should I meet Mr Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, "Mr Prime Minister, my name is Mahathir. I am the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. I am not a terrorist".

14. But of course I will not do it. I will continue to be treated as a terrorist in the United Kingdom while Mr Moneybags war criminal Tony Blair will be given full VVIP treatment by the Malaysian Government when he visits Malaysia, a former British colony.

1. The Government has been urging Malaysians to do research and development and to be innovative. The response may not be overwhelming but quite a number have tried. They usually find no one to finance them in the development of their original and innovative ideas. And many gave up.

2. Others scrape some money to pay for their research and many lost the few Ringgits that they have not because their ideas are bad but because they do not have enough money to complete their research and development.

3. But a few succeeded and came up with functional products. But will they really work? They need to test out on a reasonable scale. For this they need more money. But no one would put up money on something that is uncertain.

4. People with money have been successful doing something else. Though they could afford to allocate the money for the final tests, they are comfortable making money with what they are doing.

5. Others just could not understand the technology. If it is an improvement on their products they would not like to see a competing product.

6. For a thousand reasons nobody wants to put money into inventions and innovations.

7. Finally when the product is proven nobody in Malaysia would buy something invented by Malaysians in Malaysia.

8. Frustrated they come to see me, to demonstrate their products. While some are of doubtful value, many are really good products and should be worth investing in or buying. They can be quite unique Malaysian inventions, can help make Malaysia known for its innovativeness and inventive capacity.

9. If investors would help finance their development and production Malaysian inventors and Malaysia would gain a name for inventiveness and innovative skill.

10. Some of these people have gone abroad with their product samples. But invariably they would be asked if Malaysia is using them. When they shake their heads, that was the end of the presentation. But some Malaysians actually succeed in foreign countries even when they can sell none in Malaysia.

11. Some suggest that the Government should in whatever way possible extend help. Maybe this can be an answer. Maybe Government can finance the final phase of the research and test of concepts. Maybe the Government might buy for its own use.

12. But it is very doubtful that the officers manning the Government agencies would want to buy anything untried produced by Malaysians. Even if the product proves to be workable and even cheaper than what the Government is presently using, there would be a great reluctance to terminate the present suppliers, even after the contract is finished.

13. The products I have identified which have real potential include a security system for video discs, additives for fuel products, conversion of waste to oil, conversion of padi husks to charcoal, uses of oil palm waste, electronic information systems etc. If we want to see Malaysian original products reach the market, Government officers must not look for returns on investments but must accept that in research, development and innovations, the risks are very high. But even if one in ten make the grade, in the long run it will pay. Government must be prepared to lose money if it expects Malaysians to go seriously into research and development.

14. The Government, the civil servants, the business community need to change their mindsets if Malaysia is serious about research and development.

1. I first met Tun Omar Ong Yoke Lin when I was the President of the Kedah Anti-Tuberculosis Association. He was distributing Government funds for various charitable organisations. He was at that time a Minister in Tunku's Government. It was 1962. The little ceremony was held at his official residence.

2. Ong Yoke Lin was one of the leaders of the Kuala Lumpur branch of the MCA. Together with Tun H.S. Lee, he met Dato Yahya Abdul Razak the leader of UMNO Kuala Lumpur and they agreed that their parties would co-operate in the 1952 Kuala Lumpur Municipal Elections. They would not compete against each other but would support each other against the Independence of Malaya Party of Dato Onn, the Labour Party and a few Indian independents.

3. The UMNO/MCA co-operation in the Municipal Elections was a resounding success. It was this which led the Tunku to set up the Alliance Party, consisting of UMNO and MCA for the whole country. Later it was joined by the MIC for the 1955 elections.

4. Tun Omar went on to serve in the Tunku's Cabinet and later became Ambassador to Washington. There I met him again when I was Malaysia's delegate to the UN General Assembly in 1965.

5. Tun Omar is a humble person and mix easily with the young leaders of the Alliance. He embraced Islam and then married Toh Puan Aishah Ong, by whom he had two boys and a girl.

6. He retired gracefully from politics and went back into business where he did very well. Often I would meet him and his two sons at the National Mosque for Friday prayers.

7. Tun Omar was a fine man. He was always proper and polite. He never had a bad word for anyone. He and Toh Puan Aishah truly made a fine couple.

8. The country has lost a good leader and a true Malaysian. He was one of those architects of our country, one who made possible the close co-operation between MCA and UMNO, between Chinese and Malays. He contributed much to the principles under which the Alliance was formed.

9. I will always miss his greetings at the mosque on Friday. I and Hasmah will miss him.

10. My condolences to Toh Puan Aishah and to all Tun Omar's children and grandchildren.

11. May he rest in peace. May Allah bless him. Innalillahi'wainnaillahirraji'un.